Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo), along with Maruzen Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Toyo Engineering Corp. (Tokyo) and Sojitz Machinery Corp., announced that a joint pilot project to be demonstrated by the four companies is to be funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The project partners had applied to the Green Innovation Fund for projects aimed at the development of technology for producing raw materials for plastics using CO2 and other sources, focusing in particular on the development of advanced technologies for naphtha crackers.
The goal of the pilot project is to switch naphtha crackers from running on conventional methane-based fuel to one in which ammonia is the principal component, thereby reducing the CO2 emissions generated by combustion virtually to zero. The trial is expected to run through FY2030 in order to be implemented in society after feasibility has been demonstrated in an entirely ammonia-fired commercial cracker in the project’s final year.
Through the construction and operation of the plant along with the manufacture of the equipment, these four companies will leverage their knowledge and technical capabilities in the field of ethylene plants as they aim now to achieve the social implementation of entirely ammonia-fired crackers, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions throughout the petrochemical industry.
Sojitz Machinery will contribute its expertise in burner development and manufacture, while Toyo Engineering will contribute conceptual design for the optimal fuel conversion, as well as engineering and construction services for the test and demonstration crackers and auxiliary facilities. Mitsui Chemical and Maruzen Petrochemical will jointly work on the deliberations to obtain permits and approval and the operation of the test and demonstration cracker.